To view a PDF of all of the writing assignments, click on the button above or to view assignments individually and in Microsoft Word, click on the corresponding buttons below!
Engaging Writing Assignment:
To view the writing assignment in which students take a virtual tour of the Erie Canal, then complete a journal activity, click the button below! Intriguing Preview Activities:
To view various preview activities in which students have the option to sing about the Erie Canal, solve the lock dilemma, or analyze a graph of the Erie Canal's usage over the years, click the button below! Innovative Reading Note:
To view an activity in which students read a brief article on the Erie Canal and based off that article create a flyer urging others to visit the canal, click the button below! Processing Assignment:
To view various processing assignments in which students have the choice of creating proclamation scrolls, community service awards, and travel brochures, click the link below! |
Common Core/Essential Questions:
Reading Standards for Informational Text: Grade 4: 1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. 2. Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. 3. Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. Craft and Structure: 4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain specific words or phrases in a text relevant to grade 4 topic or subject area. 5. Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: 7. Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears. 8. Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text. Reading Standards: Foundational Skills: Grade 4: Phonics and Word Recognition: 3. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis in decoding words. 4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. a. Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding. Writing Standards: Grade 4: Text Types and Purposes: 1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose. b. Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details. c. Link opinions and reasons using words and phrases (e.g. for instance, in order to, in addition). d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented. 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. b. Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. c. Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events. d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events. Production and Distribution of Writing: 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Research to Build and Present Knowledge: 7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. 8. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources, take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. |